Abstract
DISSOLUTION of clay minerals in seawater results in aluminium concentrations in solution (1.3–7.5 µg Al per 1) which are similar to those found in coastal waters but considerably higher than the probable value of the aluminium concentration in open ocean surface waters (0.5 µg Al per 1). This note compares the results of precipitation and dissolution and investigates the mechanism of the dissolution of aluminium from three different clay minerals. Our results show that bottom and suspended clay sediments probably act as a source of dissolved aluminium to sea water, whereas removal below clay solubility predictions is probably the result of biological activity, as is the case for silicon, the other main constituent of most rocks and minerals.
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HYDES, D. Dissolved aluminium concentration in sea water. Nature 268, 136–137 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/268136a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/268136a0
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